Official highlights constraints

THE Papua New Guinea Defence Force struggles to support disaster affected areas in the country because of insufficient logistical support, PNGDF chief of logistics Col Benoma Siria says.
Siria made the comment at the opening of the 48th Pacific Area Senior Officer Logistics (PASOLS) Seminar yesterday.
He said the seminar was a forum to learn and create management tools to manage the effects of disasters through shared experiences.
Siria said PNG was a multiple hazard–prone country and most of the hazards occurred in short notice or no warning at all, and this is the opportunity to increase logistical knowledge of managing the effects of disaster in the country.
He said the National Disaster Centre would call on the military for assistance but they were limited.
“It is for these reasons, PASOLS brings together senior military logisticians and those charged with logistics from Asia Pacific nations to exchange information and ideas and discuss logistic cooperation and inter-operability during humanitarian assistance and disasters relief events, exercises and operations,” he said.
“PNG has suffered tragic events including earthquakes and landslides, but platforms such as ships and aircrafts were limited, hence our security force struggled to provide that capability and support.”